ETHIOPIQUES REVIEWS
Best Ethiopian food in the City!
The food, service and atmosphere combined make this restaurant the perfect place for dinner with friends or a quick lunch. Their meat platter is one of the best I’ve ever had and the prices are great. The service is always excellent as well. (by Karina Halminen, updated September 29, 2010)
Urban Spoon
A cozy experience!
The food was amazing and the ambiance was very welcoming.
A must experience!
Wow! I say Chapeau! to the people behind this beautiful place! I went to Ethiopiques last Wednesday with a friend urging me to try Ethiopian. Not knowing the food, unsure of what appeared to be uninteresting place (looking at the exterior since I pass by it to/from home) and my obsessive need to only go to where I can receive my time and money's worth, I was very hesitant.
Well, was I in for a treat! I was met with crisp table settings, rightly dimmed chandeliers and an overall atmosphere that encouraged relaxed conversation and enjoyment of what is to come. I am not sure whether it was a slow day, but the place was not crammed full so the noise level was tolerable. My friend said that it was similar to the last two times she was there, and when we asked, we were told that it has been only three months since it opened so perhaps that contributed. Yes, the music - one is usually unsure of foreign sounds for background music - though perhaps two CDs alternated throughout our three hours stay, I found the sounds mellow and at times serenading.
Service was unfussy and it's appropriately attentive and unhurried, leaving us plenty of time to interact.
The heart of the matter, the food, is a reminder to be grateful for pushy friends who get me to experience new things! At my friend's suggestion, we had one vegetarian platter and one meat platter. I value simple cooking with good quality ingredients over fussy and over-elaborate food. Though, I can't say how simple it would have been to prepare any of the sauces or the sautés, to my absolute delight, this is where spicy lentils means you taste the great blend of spices and the lentils and fresh sautéed beef means timing amd tempreture has perfected the mix of fresh rosemary, onions, jalapenos and some good meat- to enchant your taste buds! I was just loving every bite! Now the flat bread, "Injeba?", I think that needs getting used to-as I could see that my friend was enjoying it more than I did. Though I enjoyed the softness and the feel on my hands (you eat with your hands) and believe it made the blend in your mouth more interesting, on its own, I found it a little too sour.
We ordered a bottle of their red house wine (Rosemount Shiraz). At $35 or $37 for a 750ml, it was delightful to see that the price was way lower than the typical mark-up (at least three times retail). Though the price for the existing choices is not too rapacious, given the atmosphere and ambiance of the place, the wine list is limited and not imaginative. I should not forget to mention the generous-sized glasses that made the wine much more interesting.
Well, now that I have been acquainted to Ethiopian food and Ethiopiques is in my neck of woods, I will definitley indulge. if only they would have more wine selection!